$1.4M Price Tag for Obama Vacation Will Likely Draw Critics
12:25 PMDec 31
Source: BV on Money
The Hawaii Reporter has attempted to calculate the total cost of President Barack Obama's family vacation. The cost information is not released by the White House, but the newspaper pulled together some data to make an estimate. The cost of Air Force ... Read More
Four Reasons Tupac Wouldn't Want to See the Year 2011
10:48 PMDec 30
Source: BV Black Spin
The recent spoof claiming that the late Tupac Shakur was killed by Suge Knight got my mind racing back to 1996, the year that Tupac was murdered. Some might say that Tupac was the greatest rapper in history. I don't agree, but then again, my pick for ... Read More
Chris Brown Apologizes for Raz B Twitter Rant
7:00 PMDec 30
Source: theBVX.com
Chris Brown had to to dish out another apology to salvage his already tarnished image today. His most recent gaffe was his hateful back and forth with former B2K member Raz B. After making derogatory comments/tweets about Raz B's sexuality on Dec. 29 ... Read More
Singer LeToya Luckett Lands Acting Roles On 'From The Rough' and HBO's 'Treme'
4:50 PMDec 30
Source: BV on Movies
Former Destiny's Child member LeToya Luckett has reportedly landed a recurring role on the new HBO drama 'Treme,' states a spokeswoman for Luster's Pink Brand Smooth Touch. Set in post Katrina New Orleans, 'Treme' follows the daily lives of a group ... Read More
A Look Back at Black...Abbey Lincoln Dies at 80
4:27 PMDec 30
Source: BV Newswire
Among the many tragic deaths this year, one that struck a cord within the Jazz community was the passing of singer-songwriter Abbey Lincoln. Lincoln's distinctive voice has spawned comparisons from Billie Holiday to Chaka Khan. "She was one of the ... Read More
More Things 2011 Should Leave Behind
4:11 PMDec 30
Source: BV Black Spin
Yes, there is more to leave behind in 2011. Hopefully you have checked out yesterday's list and here is the rest! But first, here are some Honorable Mentions that didn't make the cut, but still need to be left behind as well. Antoine Dodson Skinny ...Read More
Gilbert Arenas' Baby Mama Accuses Him of Abandonment
3:01 PMDec 30
Source: BV on Sports
Four months pregnant Laura Govan, who already has three children with NBA superstar Gilbert Arenas, is now accusing him of abandoning his family by abruptly putting an end to their nine-year relationship. ... Read More
A Look Back at Black...Omarosa & Michael Clarke Duncan Fall In Love!
2:00 PMDec 30
Source: BV Newswire
Reality TV's resident bad girl Omarosa was in the midst of a whirlwind promotional tour to promote her TV One reality series, 'Donald Trump presents The Ultimate Merger,' a dating show that had twelve bachelors vying for 'The Apprentice' star's ...Read More
Friday, December 31, 2010
Black News from Your Black World – 12/31/10
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The Scott Sisters are Released and required to share a kidney
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Jamie and Gladys Scott have sat behind bars for nearly two decades over a robbery that netted just $11 dollars. The two women also dispute the fact that they even participated in the robbery, and many wondered if there were political motivations behind the magnitude of their original sentence. But the Scott sisters, who are 36 and 38 years old, were released this week when Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour suspended their sentences indefinitely.
The sisters were given two life sentences in 1994 when they allegedly ambushed a man, hitting him in the head with a shot gun and making off with $11 dollars. Nancy Lockhart, an activist, fought tirelessly for the women to be released, and there were rallies held in Mississippi on their behalf. She was finally successful when the governor made the decision to release them.
One interesting aspect of the release conditions for the Scott sisters is that they are actually required to share a kidney or will be asked to come back to prison. While bizarre as a request, this doesn't seem to be a problem, given that Gladys offered to share her kidney with her sister. Governor Barbour cited the high cost to the state of Jamie's kidney condition (she has complete kidney failure), and also noted that he doesn't feel that the sisters are a threat to public safety.
MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann Says Fox News is 100% Bullshit
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann went out of his way to take the war with Fox News to an entirely different level the other day. On his Twitter account, Olbermann repeatedly tweeted the words "Fox News is 100% Bullsh*t." He also spent much of his time specifically aiming at Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, stating that "I don't have as much hate or as many lies in me as O'Reilly."
Olbermann's latest stunt surely pleased most of his fans, many of whom hate Fox News as much as he does. I personally appreciate the candor of Olbermann's comments, and it's hard to disagree with him. The truth is that Fox News disrespects the entire concept of journalistic integrity and represents a part of America that many thought had disappeared long ago.
I am especially appreciative toward Olbermann for defending me in the past when Bill O'Reilly spent an entire week on his show trying to get me fired from Syracuse University. Olbermann rightly pointed out that O'Reilly used lies to attack me, and provided the quote to prove it. Olbermann's efforts didn't really work, however, as many of my Syracuse colleagues were so spooked by O'Reilly's electronic terrorism that I spent the next two years dealing with underhanded shenanigans from scholars who share O'Reilly's disdain for African American scholarship.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Pastor Allegedly Burglarizes the Home of Her Parishioner
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
A Dallas pastor was arrested after she was accused of breaking into the home of one of her parishioners. The woman under suspicion is Sandra McGriff, a prominent pastor at The Church of the Living God. McGriff was held on suspicion that she burglarized the home of Serita Agnew, one of the members of her church.
McGriff was seen coming out of the house with fur coats after the kitchen window had been broken. A neighbor also claims that they saw a laptop and three purses in her blue Jaguar. When police called the owner of the home, it was determined that she had not given McGriff permission to enter. Adding to the suspicion was that Agnew spoke with McGriff shortly before the alleged robbery, telling her that she was going to be out of the house visiting her daughter.
Georgia NAACP Responds to the Georgia Prison Strike
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
After the Georgia prison strike that took place earlier this month, the NAACP in Georgia took notice. Officials from the Georgia State NAACP have decided to address the issue head-on by touring one of the prisons in the state to determine the depth of concerns by the inmates. The inmates said that their strike was organized to ask for educational opportunities, adequate healthcare, just parole decisions, less expensive access to their families and an escape from cruel and unusual punishment. Most significantly, they are leading the public to question the 13th Amendment's slavery exemption, which allows corporations to earn profits with slave labor as long as the state finds a way to label someone to be a convict. Similar to slavery a century ago, a disproportionate number of those controlled by the system are black.
Georgia State NAACP President Edward DuBose said that there was evidence to support the complaints of some of the inmates:
Fox News Says that Michael Vick Should Have Been Given the Death Penalty
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson followed the company's interesting tradition the other day by making one of the most distasteful and egregious comments in recent media history. Filling in for Sean Hannity, Carlson said that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick should have been executed for dogfighting.
"I'm a Christian, I've made mistakes myself, I believe fervently in second chances," Carlson said. "But Michael Vick killed dogs, and he did in a heartless and cruel way. And I think, personally, he should've been executed for that. He wasn't, but the idea that the President of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs? Kind of beyond the pale."
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Monday, December 27, 2010
Gap Between the Rich and Middle Class Keeps Growing
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
It turns out that the gap between the rich and the middle class is larger than it's been in recorded American history. Much of the growth in the gap is due to the recent housing crisis taking place over the past three years.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the wealthiest 1% had an average net worth that was 225 greater than the average American. That's higher than the previous record, which was 190 times in 2004.
An intriguing aspect of the divide is that it occurred while the wealth of all Americans declined on average. The richest households lost 27% of their wealth between 2007 and 2009, while middle class Americans lost 47% of their wealth during the same time period. So, the growth in the gap was mainly due to the fact that the middle class and poor suffered more during the recent recession than the wealthy.
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Goodbye Teena Marie – 12/27/10
- Teena Marie, known as 'Ivory Queen of Soul,' dies
- Obama administration, Congress brace for new political reality
- Spirits soar for Kwanzaa: 'Tis also the season of unity'
- Kwanzaa: A reaffirmation of African American culture
- Parade begins weeklong Kwanzaa celebration in Dallas
- Ivory Coast general strike called to oust Gbagbo
- The Game robbed of $75,000 on Christmas Eve
- Republican Allen West says leaders take too many days off
- Haitian orphans settling in with adoptive families
- Halle's fight against domestic violence -video
- NAACP: Nashville needs more Black officers
- San Francisco 49ers fire coach Mike Singletary
- Rent Too Damn High: McMillan wants to take platform nationwide
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Saturday, December 25, 2010
Your Black News – 12/25/10
- Official: Christmas Eve bombings in Nigeria kill 31
- Pope urges lasting peace in Africa troublespots
- Security scare for President Obama in Hawaii
- Kids tracking Santa get Michelle Obama surprise
- On Hawaii vacation, President Obama reads up on Reagan
- Chandra Wilson: Having festive family fun for Christmas
- Brandy serves up meals for Christmas
- Ludacris hosts Ludacrismas 2010 in Metro Atlanta
- Jennifer Hudson gives Christmas cheer and toys to kids
- Communities rise up for Kwanzaa celebrations
- West African leaders threaten use of force against Gbagbo
- Multimedia King? Survey says, 'Steve Harvey'
Friday, December 24, 2010
Dr. Boyce Video: Finding Black Economic Empowerment
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Zachary Rinkins is serious about money. He's been running a very popular financial blog for the past several years, and has positioned himself as one of the most respected financial bloggers in the black community. I love what Zachary is doing because he reflects a generation of young people who are interested in seeing themselves empowered through economic success.
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Thursday, December 23, 2010
Cornell Student Busted with $150,000 Worth of Heroin
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Keri Blakinger, a senior at Cornell University, was arrested this week with $150,000 worth of heroin in her possession. The arrest represents the second largest drug bust in the history of the Ithaca, NY police department. Blakinger was carrying the drugs in a tupperware bowl and immediately admitted that the drugs belonged to her.
According to her Facebook page, Blakinger was an English major. There is no word on what sentence could be, but given the magnitude of New York drug laws, she may be in prison for a very long time.
The Blakinger case at Cornell is a telling reminder that drug abuse occurs on quite a few campuses across the country and not just in urban communities. This is not the first Ivy League drug ring to be brought to light. Others have been found at Harvard, Columbia and other well-regarded campuses. But while bad behavior knows few boundaries, there is a stark disparity in the way that drug possession and use is prosecuted, and much of that variation runs along racial lines.
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Terrelle Pryor and other Ohio State Players Suspended for Improper Benefits
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Terrelle Pryor, the star quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes, is set to be suspended for four games next season as a result of receiving improper benefits. He wasn't the only Buckeye kicked out for 1/3 of next season: Four other players were also suspended: Daniel Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams and Solomon Thomas are among the guilty and condemned.
Adams is being asked to repay $1,000 for selling his 2008 Big Ten Championship ring and Heron was busted for selling his jersey, pants and shoes for $1,000. Also among the list of offenses being investigated was that the players received free tattoos in exchange for autographs.
When I read this story, I thought, "Here we go again, the NCAA participating in their typical sanctimonious and hypocritical behavior."
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Madam Prezident Discusses the Lack of Women in Hip Hop
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why there are no women in hip hop. I've asked this question of some of my friends in the game, but none of them seem to have a good answer. So, I figured that I would do the same thing I did with my mother when I was a child: Keep asking the question until the answer starts to make sense.
There is a plethora of talented artists in hip hop, but most of them are men. We know that women possess the talent to be successful, and we simply have to give them the opportunity. Well, this is the topic that I am going to discuss today with Madam Prezident, aka Shanelle Walker. She is an amazing spoken word and hip hop artist and represents one of the most talented artists in the world today.
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Black News from Your Black World – 12/21/10
- UN-Sudan doc: 2.8M at risk if violence breaks out
- Bishop Eddie Long connected to mortgage scheme
- Civil-rights days not so bad, recalls Mississippi governor
- No. 1 or not, Keyshia Cole is still growing
- Bomb on Kenya-to-Uganda bus kills 1
- Quitting menthol cigarettes may be harder for some smokers
- Laila Ali is having a girl
- Shell resumes shipments at key Nigerian terminal
- BET special fails to air; no explanation given
- US approves sanctions against Ivory Coast's Gbagbo
- Chris Brown 'proud' to finish domestic violence program
- Nigeria: President launches book of Facebook posts
Is Haley Barbour’s Brother a Racist? Could He Be Our Next President?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Haley Barbour is currently Governor of the State of Mississippi. He is a staunch Republican and governs over the state that stands as a powerful statue of symbolism of America's racially-problematic past. The prisons in the state are full of black people and enslave them as many other prisons in the south already do. Economic inequality persists and remains unaddressed. The state is a mess for black folks, racism is alive and well and Haley Barbour is leading the charge.
But being a nationally-recognized politician, Barbour has learned some tricks of the trade. The game is not about directly supporting racism of the past. It's about maintaining support for norms and institutions of the past that were built on a foundation of racial inequality. Barbour and his GOP colleagues have mastered the art of racial illusion.
Surviving and Thriving During the Holidays
by Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President – Bennett College
When I look at the data that define the reality for African Americans in the economy, I am often alarmed and discouraged. One in four African American lives in poverty. Nearly one in three is out of work, according to unofficial data (official data says one in six). African Americans have lost billions of dollars worth of wealth in the foreclosure crisis. We aren't alone in our pain - our nation is hurting. But our pain is more pronounced, more acute, more debilitating.
This is hardly the first time African Americans have experienced disproportionate pain. Indeed, the story of our presence in this nation has been a story of us shouldering more than our share of economic pain. When people ask me about the wealth gap, I remind them that black folks used to be the wealth white folks accumulated. Under those circumstances, it is difficult to imagine that the wealth gap will ever be closed.
And yet we rise. I wrote my latest book, Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History, to remind me, to remind all of us, that even in harsh times African Americans have been more than survivors, we have been thrivers. We have made it despite horrible conditions, despite unfairness, despite racism. The playing field has never been level, and yet we have played on the slanted field, returning, returning, and sometimes winning. In the middle of a week of running around, talking about the book in Detroit and in Chicago, I had to smile at myself with air of satisfaction and acknowledge a job well done.
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Did BET Just Forget to Air their 30th Anniversary Show?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
If you happened to watch BET this past Sunday evening and planned to see their 30-year anniversary show, you might have been in for a rude awakening. To the surprise of fans across the nation, the show simply didn't air at the time it was scheduled. Well, it actually didn't air at all. When the Washington Post asked what happened,BET's representatives didn't give an explanation other than the obvious: "It appears that we will not be airing theBET special this evening."
The statement that BET sent to me in response to their very public snafu was a bit more informative but still cryptic:
"Unfortunately, BET 30: Moments and Movements experienced some unforeseen technical difficulties and a solution could not be reached before air time. We sincerely apologize to our viewers and will announce the new air date shortly."
This, my friends, is what some might call an 'SMH' moment. Well, Aaron McGruder, creator of The Boondocks, might call it another kind of moment, but I'll refrain from using foul language. It is ironic that the 30th anniversary ofBET would be celebrated by an incredibly public, highly embarrassing mistake of this magnitude. Like the baby's daddy who can't afford to pay child support, BET was nowhere to be found when it was time to air one of the most important shows in the network's history. Yes my friends, that was "ghetto."
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Bishop Eddie Long’s Church Connected to Alleged Financial Fraud
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Bishop Eddie Long is in the media again, and not for good reason. Long and another Atlanta megachurch pastor, Gary Hawkins, have been linked to a mortgage company that is being investigated by federal authorities for allegedly stealing money from church members.
The company, Matrix Capital, has been allowed to hold financial seminars in the churches of both men, offering to help lower their mortgages in exchange for $1,500 payments. According to police, thousands of people paid money to Matrix, but ended up filing bankruptcy and/or losing their homes.
Fred Lee, the proclaimed front man for the company, was allegedly able to convince quite a few church members to give him their money primarily because he addressed them within the confines of their joint church environment. The Secret Service and the DeKaulb County Police are now investigating Lee.
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Duchess Harris: The State of Black Women Under President Obama
History was made in November 2008. Record breaking numbers of voters lined up to vote the first African-American President into office, with Barack Obama handily beating Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, winning 52% of the electoral vote, a clear mandate for change.[1] African-Americans made up 13% of the electorate, a two percent increase from the 2006 elections,[2] and approximately 95% of black voters cast their ballots in favor of Obama.[3] Within that 13%, black women had the highest voter turnout rate among all racial, gender, and ethnic groups.[4]
As the election results were posted, the media and the President-elect himself made grand proclamations about the significance of the election, as well as what it portended for the country's future. New York Times writer Adam Nagourney described voters' election of Obama as "sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics," continuing with a quote from Obama's victory speech in Grant Park, Chicago:
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.... It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.[5]
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Monday, December 20, 2010
Man Arrested After Publishing Book on How to be a Pedophile
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
Phillip Greaves, like many other struggling authors, decided to self-publish a book and put it on Amazon.com. The style of book Greaves chose to write landed him in hot water with authorities, and eventually led to him being arrested.
Greaves wrote a book entitled, "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child-Lover's Code of Conduct." The book taught potential and practicing pedophiles how to have sex with children and rape them. Greaves was arrested this week in Colorado and will be extradited to Florida.
"You cannot engage or depict children in a harmful relationship," said Polk County, Florida, Sheriff Grady Judd. Judd was explaining an obscenity statute in Florida which precludes individuals or groups from distributing obscene materials depicting minors in harmful situations.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Woman Cuts Out the Heart of her 4-Year Old Daughter
Police have arrested a 35-year-old London woman after they say she brutally killed and mutilated her daughter reportedly while chanting and listening to verses of the Koran.
The body of 4-year-old Nusayba Bharuchi was found with her heart cut out and other bodily organs strewn around her mother, Shayna's flat in East London.
The child's father, Jerome Negney, found Shayna clutching a knife at the murder scene, and called authorities.
Police report that the mother had her MP3 player on full blast as she listened to the holy book surrounded by the dismembered parts of her daughter.
She has since been taken to a mental health facility.
The woman is reported to be of Somalian descent and has two other children, ages 14 and 16.
The woman's neighbors report that they would often hear screams coming from the family's home and one told London's UK Daily Mail,
“Noone knew her very well but the children seemed very nice. However I used to be awoken by terrible screaming of a woman's voice in the middle of the night which was a regular occurrence…Sometimes the screams would last for about 10 minutes.”
Hip Hop Artists Speak Up on Georgia Prison Strike
Saturday, December 18, 2010
The Georgia Prison Strike is Over: For Now
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
The heroic prison strike that took place in Georgia this month has finally come to an end. Other than the inmates who are still holding out, most of the others have been released from the massive lock down and agreed to go back to work. Progress was made during the strike, and negotiations are still underway.
I was scheduled to meet with Elaine Brown, one of the leaders of the movement last night. For some reason, we weren't able to find her. But I'm sure that whatever she was doing was more important than talking to me. Tomorrow morning I'll be speaking with Rev. Jesse Jackson on the matter, and then Monday, I speak with Rev. Al Sharpton. In fact, I'll be speaking to everyone I know about this issue for as long as I possibly can.
From AOL - Should You Be able to Sue Someone for Dumping You At the Alter?
What would you do if the love of your life up and left you days before your wedding? Well, you couldsue his butt off.
Dominique Buttitta, a lawyer in Chicago, is taking her ice-footed former fiancé to court for bailing on their big dayjust four days before the ceremony was supposed to go down. The jilted bride claims that by calling it quits, the groom "intentionally inflicted emotional distress" on her. She's reportedly seeking more than $95,000 from her ex -- money, she says, that she'd already spent on the wedding.
I think she may have a case, and not just because people sue for less than this every day. I've had neighbors sue other neighbors when their dog crapped on the lawn. Buttitta's fiance crapped on her life. Not only is she now being portrayed as a bitter, spurned woman, she's in the hole for a whole lot of zeros.
Planning a wedding is a big, long, intricate process. I know; I'm in the middle of planning mine. Pick up any issue of "The Knot" and they'll tell you: planning a wedding takes about nine months to a year. And those are a packed nine to 12 months of making lists, touring venues, tasting cakes and spending thousands of dollars in nonrefundable deposits. There's the dress, the rings, flowers -- Buttitta says she spent over $12,500 on those -- invitations, escort cards and a ton of other things that take up a whole lot of time and even more of your money. It's ridiculous.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Bishop Eddie Long Update: Accusers Broke Into His Office to Get Evidence
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
The Bishop Eddie Long sex scandal has been the peculiar incident in Atlanta that turned the black church upside down. A popular pastor given the responsibility of caring for scores of young men has been accused of coercing some of them in to sexual relationships.
Just when you thought the scandal couldn't get anymore scandalous, another piece of evidence emerges from the fray.
Several of Bishop Eddie Long's accusers now claim that the reason they broke in to his office earlier this year was to obtain evidence against Bishop Eddie Long for a pending lawsuit. This is in contrast to previous reports that the men broke in to Long's office for money.
"That man was hurt," said one of Long's accusers, Jamal Parris. "He wanted to get evidence to prove what was happening to him and to all of us."
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Dr. Boyce: Why We Should All Support the Georgia Prison Strike
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
You may have heard about the prison strike occurring in Georgia right now. Inmates in four facilities have come together in an amazing show of solidarity to demand that they be treated like (gasp) human beings, not slaves or animals. Rather than continuing to fall for the game of divide and conquer that has kept them apart for so long, the whites, blacks, Muslims, Mexicans, and other groups have mobilized forces to fight for something worthwhile.
The guards and wardens of these prisons are nervous. For the longest time, they were able to convince the inmates to take their aggression out on each other. Now that the intellectual and spiritual guns are pointed at their overseers, the inmates are gaining access to the liberation that has been denied to them for so very long. The Georgia prison strike is not just a one-time event; it is a model for success in organizing that can be replicated around the country.
I stand with these men as they fight for what they deserve, while fully understanding that they must pay a debt to society. They are not asking for anything dramatic, just the basics of what any human being might expect: an escape from involuntary servitude, adequate healthcare, educational opportunities, the ability to see their families without exorbitant expense and just parole decisions. They are not asking to be treated like royalty or to even be released without good cause. They are simply demanding that they be allowed to repay their debt to America and simultaneously create sustainable paths toward contributing to the society in which they live. These men and women are not garbage to be thrown out and destroyed, but are actually individuals with tremendous productive capacity that remains untapped in a system structured to ruin both good people and bad.
Visit Your Black Politics for black politics. Also, visit Your Black World for black news!
Your Black News – 12/17/10
Black Voices' Holiday Travel Essentials
8:00 AMDec 17
Source: BV on Style
The holiday season is officially upon us, and with Christmas, Kwanza and New Years on the way, many women will be traveling non-stop for the next few weeks. Holiday travelers can get frustrated just thinking about the problems they will face; from ...Read More
Rashida Jones, Yaya Dacosta Left Off SAG's Ensemble Award Noms
7:10 AMDec 17
Source: BV on Movies
The actors' branch is the largest at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and almost all of those voting members also vote for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. While Halle Berry received a Golden Globes nomination for her work in 'Frankie ... Read More
BV's 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Win A pureDKNY Gift Set, Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding & More
6:00 AMDec 17
Source: BV Newswire
BlackVoices.com is still counting down the days until Christmas and looking to bless some of our lucky readers with the opportunity to win holiday gifts each day leading up to Christmas Day. Each day, we will highlight a new contest product of the ...Read More
Dr. Boyce Video: State of the Black Male Interview With Ryan Mack
6:39 PMDec 16
Source: BV on Money
One of the consistent themes of my work in black public scholarship is the state of the black male in America. We know that black men are on the bottom rung of our society in nearly every statistical category when it comes to measuring quality of ...Read More
Tank: R&B Singer Talks Abs, R. Kelly & His New Relationship
6:07 PMDec 16
Source: BV Buzz
While singers like Janet Jackson and Usher have been known to gain weight in between CD releases and touring, R&B star Tank told BlackVoices.com that he maintains his chiseled chest physique even when he's not in the spotlight. "I don't do that. I ... Read More
Congressional Black Caucus Silent on the Georgia Prison Strike
5:36 PMDec 16
Source: BV Black Spin
In case you haven't seen it much in the media, history is being made in Georgia. Prison inmates in the state have come together for the largest prison strike in United States history. The event is significant, since the prison system is one of the ... Read More
Black Unemployment Update: 16.1% of African Americans Unemployed in November
5:15 PMDec 16
Source: BV on Money
From Our Partner: Young Black Professional Guide November might have marked the eleventh consecutive month of private sector job growth, but that was cold comfort to America's unemployed masses. The economy only gained a net amount of 39,000 jobs ... Read More
UPDATE: Ailing Aretha Franklin Reveals She 'Feels Great' in Post Surgery Interview
5:05 PMDec 16
Source: BV Newswire
Aretha Franklin is home for the holidays. And she's glad about it. Fans have been sending up well wishes to The Queen of Soul since hearing that she is suffering from what could be pancreatic cancer. The 20-time Grammy Award winning music legend ... Read More
Visit Your Black World for more black news! Also visit Your Black Politics for black politics and Your Black Gossip for black celebrity gossip.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Dr. Boyce on AOL Black Voices: Black Men and Prison – Interview with Ryan Mack
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
One of the consistent themes of my work in black public scholarship is the state of the black male in America. We know that black men are on the bottom rung of our society in nearly every statistical category when it comes to measuring quality of life. The prison strike in Georgia is one example of cases in which black men are standing up and telling the world that we are powerful creatures. There are also uplifting things happening all across America in the fields of education and economic empowerment. Black men will not be denied access to the American dream for much longer. One person that I brought into the studio to discuss these matters is Ryan Mack, a bold and powerful activist from the New York area. Ryan is the CEO of Optimum Capital Management and author of the book, "Living in the Village."
Wells Fargo Says It Plans to Be Nicer to Black People: Oh Really?
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
I got a call not too long ago. It was from Wells Fargo, the bank that has been sued by one county after another for engaging in predatory lending toward the African American community. My first question to my business manager was "What do they want? I'm probably not going to be interested." My personal negotiations with Wells Fargo didn't go very far. I had no interest in being associated with the company that many believe to have ripped billions of dollars in wealth from a community that has such little wealth to begin with. Also, after watching my grandparents lose the home they'd lived in for over 40 years, it was personal for me. I also applaud Tavis Smiley for ending his affiliation with Wells Fargo after the predatory lending allegations surfaced during the financial crisis.
You can imagine my dismay when the NAACP made a deal with Wells Fargo that led to the company immediately becoming the title sponsor of the organization's national convention this year. I spoke with NAACP President Ben Jealous about the matter, and I was ultimately left unsatisfied with the degree of transparency behind the deal. It's one thing to say that you're going into the demon's house to clean it up, but you must provide proof that you're not simply entering the house to enjoy the spoils of colluding with the demon. To date, the NAACP has not done an adequate job of describing the nature of its financial deal with Wells Fargo, and the group has also not made clear exactly how Wells Fargo is going to make up for the billions in losses that have been caused to the African American community. Having the most powerful civil rights organization in America as a "partner" effectively releases Wells Fargo from the threat of any significant criticism for their activities in the black community (other than conversations that occur behind closed doors). If this partnership is not clearly defined and empowered, Wells Fargo could hire thugs to rob old ladies in the hood and the NAACP wouldn't be able to say a thing.
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